Tire skid marks are all that is left on the sidewalk of Eliot Avenue in Laval after a car crashed meters away from the front doorsteps of homes Thursday afternoon.
Security footage captured the shocking incident as a red SUV can be seen jumping an empty sidewalk after the driver lost control of the vehicle.
“It sounded like a highway crash,” resident Billy Kyriakakis said of the SUV that skidded across his driveway nearly clipping his parked car and others.
“I walked outside and immediately thought someone was injured.”
No one was hurt in the incident but residents of Eliot Avenue say this latest accident showcases how dangerous their street has been for years.
“Yesterday was an awakening,” resident and mother Voula Kollias said.
“It has gone on for far too long. We need to slow down the traffic we need to put something in place and we have tried.”
She said her husband was rear-ended recently simply backing out of their driveway.
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Looking over the scene Friday morning, a hand full of concerned families on Eliot Avenue told Global News they watch on a daily basis as motorists zip by on the busy residential street.
Lisa Di Ioia, who has been living on the avenue for 20 years, said speeding has always been a problem and is the root of many accidents such as the one on Thursday.
“It’s super busy, people racing down the street. We need speed bumps. We have been fighting for this for many years and were tired,” she said.
“We don’t want an accident to happen.”
Residents claim the section of Eliot Avenue between du Souvenir and Henri Duplessis street is the most dangerous.
The width of the avenue and the blind curve are just some of the dangers mentioned in multiple complaints residents say they have lodged with the city –complaints they claim, have been ignored.
“This accident is a perfect example of why we need to slow down the traffic. It’s constant and it’s exhausting to always be afraid,” Kollias said.
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The speed limit on the avenue, which is situated near a park, is 40 kilometers an hour.
Resident Fady Akache said he and his two daughters don’t use the park because of the fear of dangerous drivers.
“Were nervous to let the kids go out on their own. We don’t let them play or even cross the street,” Akache said.
A 2018 traffic study conducted by the city over a two-week period showed the majority of drivers, 85 per cent, drove below 53 kilometers per hour on the street, just under the 15-kilometer threshold at which the city would add traffic calming measures.
In a statement, the city said they recognize the dangers of the area and said signs are already in place to slow traffic down, but said traffic studies are being conducted in consideration of additional measures that could be put in place within the next year.